BULLETIN: (3rd Update 3:44 p.m. EDT U.S.A.) The Colorado Division of Securities has issued a cease-and-desist order to “Achieve Community” and accused the network-marketing “program” of securities fraud and selling unregistered securities while conducting “a pure Ponzi and pyramid scheme.” The order applies to Achieve, Achieve International LLC, Work with Troy Barnes Inc. and Achieve […]

UPDATED 10:52 A.M. EDT U.S.A. The Colorado Division of Securities said it “will look into the extent” of promotional ties the UFunClub “program” now under investigation in Thailand may have in the state. Whether other U.S. states would follow Colorado’s lead was not immediately clear. Earlier cross-border MLM/network-marketing schemes such as Profitable Sunrise and WCM777 […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: The personnel information in the first section below is gleaned from public records in the SEC’s pyramid- and Ponzi case against the “Achieve Community” and alleged principals Kristi Johnson and Troy Barnes. Some of the numbered points include additional notes by the PP Blog. These notes are based on public records or information […]

3RD UPDATE 4:02 P.M. ET U.S.A. The “Achieve Community,” an 800-percent ROI Ponzi-board “program” apparently hamstrung by problems with payment processors, now is serving up a spectacle in which confusion and delay are the only consistent themes. BehindMLM.com reported late last night (or early today, depending on your time zone) that the office of Michigan […]

UPDATED 12:20 P.M. ET U.S.A. Two websites associated with the “Achieve Community” — ReadyToAchieve.com and TheAchieveCommunity.com — are inaccessible this morning. Achieve Community is under investigation by the Colorado Division of Securities. The PP Blog asked the Division this morning if it was aware of the outage and whether the inaccessibility of the sites had […]

UPDATED 6:20 A.M. ET U.S.A. “BRING THE BACON HOME,” a bizarre Ponzi-board “program” purportedly operated by “Sherilyn” from “Singapore” and pushed on YouTube by Achieve Community hucksters Rodney Blackburn and Mike Chitty, reportedly collapsed during a so-called Beta launch this week and has been put on hold. The “program” purportedly turns $40 into $1,800. Achieve […]

UPDATED 6:33 P.M. ET (U.S.A.) The state of Colorado has issued a cease-and-desist order against the WCM777 “program,” saying the Ming Xu-led enterprise was selling unregistered securities. Ming Xu also is known as Dr. Phil Ming Xu, according to WCM777 promoters. In issuing the C&D, Colorado now has joined at least two other U.S. states […]

Profitable Sunrise had come under investigation in Colorado at least by March 8 and was officially notified March 11 that the state suspected it was breaking securities laws, the state Securities Board says in filings this week. Colorado scheduled a hearing for March 25 after learning that Profitable Sunrise also was under investigation in North […]

Joe Hanel, the Denver correspondent for the Durango Herald, has written a series of reports that delves into the symphony of the bizarre surrounding Ponzi schemer Frederick H.K. Baker, who once was immersed in the HYIP world but now is in prison. If you’ve been wondering about the psychology of Ponzi schemes — perhaps particularly […]